PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The injury-besieged Mets took another hit Friday when they learned that Daniel Murphy could be in danger of starting the season on the disabled list because of a right hamstring issue.

General manager Sandy Alderson said the second baseman will miss at least a week, though he cautioned that it could be longer. "Hamstrings usually take longer than people want to admit,'' Alderson said after Murphy went for an MRI exam.

Alderson said Matt Reynolds and Daniel Muno will be considered at second if Murphy isn't ready. Both have impressed in camp, but neither has big-league experience. Wilmer Flores will remain at shortstop, though he has experience at second.

Prospect Dilson Herrera filled in for Murphy late last season, but because he was optioned from camp earlier this week, Alderson ruled him out as a potential alternative.

By rule, players on the 40-man roster who are injured from now until the end of camp are required to go on the big league disabled list, where they would rack up service time. The same rule prompted the Mets to option pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard to minor-league camp.

Syndergaard was scheduled to start Saturday against the Tigers, but on Thursday, he took a ball off his ankle during a game of catch. Though X-rays came back negative, the Mets scratched him to avoid risking an injury that could send him to the big league disabled list.

"I won't fall under the pressure of what happened last year,'' said Syndergaard, who became frustrated last season when he wasn't promoted. "Instead of trying to force things to happen, I'll just start letting them naturally happen.''

Steven Matz (Ward Melville) will start in Syndergaard's place.

Notes & quotes: Bartolo Colon's next start will come in a minor-league game. He allowed two runs in 42/3 innings in the Mets' 5-4 win over the Cardinals . . . Bobby Parnell is expected to pitch in a minor-league game Saturday . . . The Mets also sent Kevin Plawecki, Jon Velasquez and Cory Mazzoni to minor-league camp.

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